Victorian Premier Denis Napthine yesterday opened the new Little Creatures Brewery and hospitality venue in Geelong, following a $60 million investment made by Lion, the company that owns Little Creatures.
According to the company’s announcement, the new site will brew and distribute the company’s range of beers for the growing East Coast markets and will create 50 jobs for the local community.
The commencement of the brewery marks the next stage in Little Creatures’ brewing operations in Australia, further complementing the company’s existing production capacities in Fremantle, Western Australia, and the White Rabbit Brewery at Healesville.
The substantial investment made by Lion will more than double Little Creatures’ brewing capacity in Australia and will strengthen the company’s presence and competitiveness in international markets.
Dr. Napthine said the new brewery in Victoria’s biggest regional city will prove to be beneficial for the entire region in many ways.
“It is the perfect example of industry, innovation and investment all coming together to create, not only a new enterprise, but a stronger regional Victorian economy,” said Mr. Napthine in a media release.
“The Little Creatures project will foster community spirit, diversify industry, develop skills, create new jobs and boost local tourism. It is the perfect example of industry, innovation and investment all coming together to create, not only a new enterprise, but a stronger regional Victorian economy.”
Built on the historic site of Geelong’s former Valley Worsted Mill, the new brewery features the latest state-of-the-art German technology and a number of environmental initiatives such as waste heat collection and a carbon dioxide recycling system. It will be powered by a combined heat and power plant installed on site, and will use the excess energy as a heat source in the brewing process.
“It’s great that we’ve been able to take an old, unloved building and give it a new lease of life. Little Creatures is looking forward to being a part of the community in Geelong and we encourage local residents to come down and experience our world,” said Brett Grebert, the Head of Craft Beer at Lion.
The brewery’s hospitality area is housed in the Mill’s former Cloth Finishing Room with a 400-capacity indoor hospitality space, along with an art gallery for local artworks that will offer space for the local artisan market from February 2014.
The brewery will be open to the public beginning today.
